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380 households at Hong Kong public rental estates own private flats, official check finds

  • Housing Authority reveals figures as part of audit of 88,000 tenants carried out in October and November last year
  • It also orders another 250,000 households to declare whether they own any local residential property before end of May

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Under current rules, all public housing tenants must make an income and asset declaration every two years. Photo: Elson LI
At least 380 households at Hong Kong public rental estates own private flats and authorities have taken action against 60 of them for violating rules meant to ensure only the neediest families are given help with housing, a government check has found.

The Housing Authority, which disclosed the figures in a paper submitted to the Legislative Council, ordered another 250,000 households on Tuesday to declare whether they owned any local residential property before the end of May.

The authority is also investigating about 50 households that have yet to make the required declaration on property ownership as part of an audit of 88,000 tenants carried out in October and November last year. The checks involved home visits and property searches.

“Tenants who are found to have deliberately refused to make declarations or have abused public rental housing flats will have their tenancies terminated,” the document said.

Tenants could be prosecuted if they were found to have made false statements, it added.

Last year, about 180 tenants were convicted for knowingly making false statements in their asset declarations. Photo: Sun Yeung
Last year, about 180 tenants were convicted for knowingly making false statements in their asset declarations. Photo: Sun Yeung

The government stepped up its checks on tenants last year after it was revealed that Kwong Kau, 66, the former father-in-law of murdered model Abby Choi Tin-fung, owned a luxury home while also trying to buy a subsidised flat.

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